Bottle-exchange receptacle for containing milk bottles



Nov. 2 1926.

` P. T. MLAUGHLIN ET AL Y BOTTLE EXCHANGE RECEPTACLE Fon couuxnma MILK BOTTLES Filed April s. 192`s Swanton R Z Maugizjlz'n d l z'am @rule/'60h Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITE ST'lElS PATENI FFME..

BOTTIEsEXCI-IANGE RECEPIACLE FOR CONTAINIIQ'G MILK BOTTLES.

AppIication filed April 3, 1925 Serial No. 99,552.

This invention relates to a bottle exchange relpeptacle for containing milk bottles or the 1i e.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device ot' this character adapted to contain a milk bottle either full or empty and of such structure that the removal ot' the contained bottle is more readily accomplished by the insertion of a second bottle to thereby substantially insure the substitution of an empty bottle for a full one or a full bottle for an empty one.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having means for housing the contained bottle so as to protect the same against the attacks ot flies and other inserts and to hide the'same from the view of mischievous boys or tramps who otherwise might attempt to remove the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character so constructed that one-bottle which is inserted to release a second bottle is itself locked in position in the casing before the second bottle reaches the released position so that the inserted bottle may not be `removed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be very readily and cheaply constructed and which will be durable and efficient in service.

These and other objects we attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose ot illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of `our invention and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view though a bottle exchange receptacle constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through the lower end of the apparatus;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the method of limiting the movement of the retaining arms.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the device includes an open bottomed tube 10 having at vertically spaced points brackets 11 whereby it may be secured to a suitable support, such as the wall of a building. The upper end of they tube is preferably beveled and is provided with a cover 12 hinged, as at 13, and of sufficient size to insure against entry to the upper end of the tube of snow or sleet which would collect upon the contained bottle and rend-er the removal thereof ditlicult.

i/Vithin the tube at vertically spaced points are arranged retaining elements 14 in the form of upwardly converging spring fingers 'l5 through which a bottle may be inserted from the lower end but from which a bottle once inserted may not be removed except by elevation thereof. rlhe lower set ot spring fingers 15 is arranged immediately above the bottom et the tube while the second or upper set is arranged so that the upper ends ot the fingers are slightly spaced from the upper end ot the tube.

These spring lingers are'preferably each secured at their lower ends to bands 16 which fit against the interior of the tube and are riveted to the tube, as indicated at 17. The iingers themselves are preferably formed of flat spring steel. in its lower end with a vertically extending slot 18 which extends'a short distance above the upper ends of the lower springs 15 and the distance between the upper ends of the lower spring lingers and the upper ends of the upper spring fingers is such that if two bottles ot the type which are to be employed with the exchange apparatus and which are superimposed within the tube, the lower will have its lower end well above the upper ends of the lower iingers when the upper end of the upper bottle has just projected above the upper ends of the 'upper fingers so that it is accessible through the top ot the tube.

The upper and lower bands provide pivots for circumferentially spaced vertically eX- tending rods 19, the upper and lower ends ot which are formed with arms 2O and 21. The arms 21 project through openings 22 formed in the band and have coaction with the walls of this opening such that their swinging movement in one direction is limited when the arms are substantially radially directed to the walls of the tube. Each of the arms 20 and 21 is arcuately curved so that it may swing against the walls of the tube and conform to the shaping thereof. A spring 23 associated with each rod tends to rotate the rod in a direction maintaining the arm 21 against the stop shoulder 24 at one end of its slot and accordingly to maintain the arms 21 and22 in a radial position. The arms 21 are located substantially at the lower end ot the tube and the arms 2O a distance above the arms 21 slightly less than The wall is provided the combined height of two of the bottles which are to be employed with the device.

In the use lof the device, assuming a bottle to be already in position therein and resting at its lower end upon the upper ends of the lower lingers l5, a second bottle is in-l serted through the open bottom of the tube and will engage with its walls against the arms 2l, causing these arms to swing back toward the walls of the tube and accordingly shift the arms 2O so as to permit the passage of the upper end ofthe upper bottle between such ends, thus freeing the upper bottle for vertical movement through the upper fingers la.V rlhis vertical movement through the upper iingers is obtained by engaging the lowervbottle with a linger or lingers inserted through the slot i8 and elevating the same. y rllhe upper bottle does not project abovethe upper ends oi the fingers lll until the lower bottle has passed above the upper ends of the lower lingers with the result that vthe lower bottle is loclzed against withdrawal before the uppe1 bottle may be withdrawn, thereby preventing fraud and assuring against removal of one bottle without the substitution of a second bottle therefor. Attention is directed to the factthat the free ends ofthe lower arms 2l are bent Vso that they diverge downwardly.v as at 21?. The end portions of the dowi'iwardly diverging portions are then bent upwardly, as. at 2lb. These downwardly diverging portions combine to form a cam against which the bottle head may engage to cause the arms 2l to separate, while the upturned end portions thereof prevent the ends of these downturned portions from piercing the cap of a bottle which may be accidentally brought into engagement therewith.

Since the construction liereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, we do not limit ourselves to such specific structine except as hereinafter claimed.

lVe claim l. A bottle exchange device comprising a tube having an open lower end and provided at its upper end with a hinged cover, spaced retaining elements within the tube each permitting the upward passage of a bottle and preventing downward movement of the bottle after passage thereof, the space between said retaining elements being slightly greater than the length `of two bottles of the type to be `employed therewith, means between the retaining `elements preventing upward passage of a bottle arranged upon the lower retaining element unless followed by a second bottle comprising arms normally spring positioned in the path of the bottle and rigidly resisting upward movement of the bottle and means tobe engaged by a second bottle inserted beneath the first bottle for swinging said arms to the walls of the tube to permit passage of the lirstpbottle and comlirising other arms corresponding in number and ar rangement to the iirst named arins and arranged at the lower end of the tube, the last named arms permitting passage of the upper end of the bottle and being connected with the iirst named arms by vertically ci;- tending rods.

2. A bottle ixchange device comprising a tube having an open lower end and provided at its uppercnd with a hinged cover, spaced retaining elements within the tube each permitting the upward passage of a bottle and preventing downward movement of the bottle after paf-sage thereof, the space between said retaining elements being slightly greater than the length of two bottles of the type to be employed therewith, means between the retaining' elements preventing upward passage of a bottle arranged upon the lower retaining element unless followed by a second bottle comprising arms normally spring positioned in the path of the bottle and rigidly resisting upward movement of the bottle, means to be engaged by a second bottle inserted beneath the lirstbottle for swinging said arms to the walls of the tube to permit passage of the lirst bottle and comprising other arms coi-responding in number and arrangement to the first named arms and arranged at the lower end of the tube', the last named arms permitting passage of the upper end of the bottle and being connected with the first named arms by vertically extending rods and a common support for each set of retaining elements and the associated arms.

3. A bottle exchange device comprising a tube havin an open lower end and provided at its upper end with a hinged cover, spaced retaining elements within the tube each permitting the upward passage of a bottle and preventing downward movement of the bottle after passage thereof, the space between said retaining elements being slightly great er than the length of two'y bottles of the type to be employed therewith, means between the retaining elements preventing upward passage of a bottle arranged upon the lower retaining element unless followed by a second bottle comprising arms normally spring positioned in the path of the bottle and rigidly resisting upward movement of the bottle and means at the lower end ofthe tube and engaged by a second bottle inserted beneath the iirst bottle for swinging said arms to the walls of the tube to permit passage of the irst bottle comprising other armscorresponding in number and arrangement to the first named arms and arranged at the lower end of the tube, the last `named arn'is permitting passage of the upper end of the bottle and being connected with the first named arms by vertically extending rods, the free ends of the last named arms diverging downwardly to provide camming portions for engagement with the head of a bottle.

4. A bottle exchange device comprising a tube having an open lower end and provided at is upper end with a hinged cover, vertically extending rods pivotally supported from the interior walls of the tube and having at opposite ends thereof horizontally directed arms, springs normally maintaining the arms substantially radial to the axis of the tube and in the path of the passage of a bottle through the tube, the arms being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the bottle to be accommodated, the lower arms having camming portions for engagement with the head of a bottle to thereby position the upper arms to permit passage of a contained bottle.

5. A bottle exchange device comprising a tube having an o-pen lower end and provided at its upper end with a hinged cover,

vertically extending rods pivotally supported from the interior Walls o-f the tube and having at opposite ends thereof horizontally directed arms, springs normally maintaining the arms substantially radial to the axis of the tube and in the path of the passage of a bottle through the tube, the arms being spaced apart a distance greater than the length of the bottle to be accommodated, the lower arms having camming portions for engagement with the head of a bottle tothereby position theupper arms to permit passage of a contained bottle and means between said arms for engaging the lower end of a contained bottle and supporting the same in vertically spaced relation to the lower arms.

In testimony whereof we hereunto atiix 

